home depot’s celebration of service : stiggys dogs

Happy Monday, lovely people! Remember this little snippet we posted a short while ago about Home Depot’s Celebration of Service? If you’ve been reading for a while, then you know that if there’s anything we love more than revamps and design, it’s the real purpose behind them all. It’s our favorite reason behind what we do.

Last week, we kissed the kiddos goodbye, packed our bags, and headed to Detroit to participate in Home Depot’s Celebration of Service with Stiggy’s Dogs. Just a side note, but have you guys noticed Chloe in our header above? She was rescued from a shelter 9 years ago, and she’s our first ‘child’. So as lovers of rescued animals, this cause is near and dear to our hearts.

How can you not love these faces?

Meet Barrett, and his (adorable) adoptive family.

What exactly is Stiggy’s Dogs? Their catch phrase says it all: Rescuing One to Rescue Another.

I can’t even begin to fathom what the brave men and women who serve this country, have done and are doing for us, daily. It’s something I strive not to take for granted, because it can certainly be easy to do that. And I can’t think of a worthier cause than the one we were able to participate in last week. These sweet shelter dogs are rescued and trained to serve as rehabilitated service dogs for amazing veterans and their families.

From Stiggy’s site: 

Like guide dogs for the blind, Psychiatric Service Dogs aid people with mental illnesses, from anxiety disorder, Traumatic Brian Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These dogs are taught specific tasks ranging from: reminding veterans to take their medicine, waking them up from a nightmare or alarm clock ringing, to directing them through a crowd.

So we gathered in Detroit that day, to rally together with volunteers and Home Depot Employees (on their day off) for a worthy cause. This is the home base of Stiggy’s dogs. Here, at the owner’s childhood home, established in memory of their nephew, this (oh so pretty!) house is being repurposed and revamped to serve this amazing cause.

Here, these rescued dogs will be trained to serve their new owners. Here, veterans may come to a sanctuary. And here, the owners of Stiggy’s will live to help serve and assist both. It’s a cause that’s bigger than any of us, and we were more than honored to be a part of it.

You may see a few familiar faces in these photos. Some of the wonderful bloggers we were able to see again/get to know/have a blast with that were a part of this trip: Traci from Beneath My Heart, Dan from Military Avenue, Kris from The New Normal, Lori from Witty Little Secret, Trisha from 24/7 Moms, Stacy from Not Just a Housewife, Kierste from Brown Paper Packages, Diane from In My Own Style, Rachael from Lovely Crafty Home, Gail from My Repurposed Life,  and (last but not least!) Emily from Decor Chick.

We even enjoyed a special treat: breakfast and a Q+A with Frank Blake. That would be the CEO of Home Depot, himself. (I have this super nerdy look on my face, because in our photo op, he ‘made’ me stand in the middle, and I was laughing.)

Nerdy admission: I kind of have a ‘genuine’ radar. As in, when I meet people, I just sense it in them. I guess you could say I’m drawn to ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of people. No fronts. No airs. Just themselves. Frank was super kind, and one hundred percent genuine. This, as many of you know, is a real rarity. A real delight. He was honestly interested in the blogging world and how it works. This was very sweet of him, truth be told. I can’t imagine what his days are like, and yet here he was, ready to get his hands dirty like the rest of us, and asking us all about what we do. He made it very clear that at The Home Depot, the people come first, whether it’s their employees they give back to, or the community. It was an honor to listen to what he had to say…to soak up his words in that moment. We’ve always been a Home Depot family, and it honestly made me feel good to know we support such a genuine organization that makes an effort and gives back.

Because that’s what really matters.

The home, which will serve as the base for Stiggy’s Dogs, was going through an all out gutting process…from building a wheelchair accessible porch with a ramp, to a new kitchen and living area…I’m only scratching the surface of what happened that day.

We loved the opportunity to work in their lovely garden. I was quite impressed with the goodness they had growing. When we got there, it looked like the photo below. We helped weed, harvest, and get the soil ready for a fresh tilling. I totally have a brown thumb, but we plan to grow some things soon in our own back yard, and I felt quite inspired after harvesting Stiggy’s fresh veggies. There’s something truly refreshing and simple about that process.

Our day was chock-full of dirt, that sweet smell of sawdust, and the wonderful sight of people coming together for a common good. We even met with some Home Depot representatives to talk about some great ways to make your home more energy efficient…and we’ll have more of that coming up. But our very favorite part was being able to see the good… that real difference these sweet dogs are making in the lives of their new owners. And that’s all because of the people behind Stiggy’s Dogs, and The Home Depot.

What a heart touching story it is.

We look forward to being a part of, and sharing more of Home Depot’s Celebration of Service in the near future, and we’d love for you to find something to volunteer for in your own communities. Come and join the ranks of volunteers across the nation! You never know what’s in your own back yard.

So check it out, and stay tuned!

To learn more, and see the Home Depot Associates in action, click here. And to stay up to date on their awesome redos, be sure to check them out on Twitter and Facebook. To see more photos of our day, click here!

Have an inspired day, everyone!

Legal loveliness:

We have  partnered with the Home Depot for their Celebration of Service Blog Network. As part of this program, we received compensation for our involvement. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any product mentioned in these posts. The Home Depot believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.